A great Sunday afternoon of live music from a multitude of genres!
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Share The Sound festival took place a couple of weeks ago and was a fantastic Sunday afternoon. Well done to the Music Society for putting on an amazing festival which featured a wide range of musicians from different genres. The University of Southampton is full of talented musicians and with a turn out of over 60 people, I am sure many others could agree.
The day started with music from Bekah Shaw who performed a mixture of covers and original songs. They performed folksy indie music in the lovely sun. One of the highlights from the performance was Shaw performing their own song that they wrote during lockdown. I didn’t get the song title but one of the lyrics was “I don’t know when we’ll get out”. Though we are in the backend of lockdown, it is always amazing to see how creatives used their emotions to inspire outstanding music during trying times. The music was relatable and heartfelt: Shaw started the day off perfectly.
The second performer was Talia Arson who performed a completely different kind of music despite also playing on the acoustic guitar. Arson performed music from their upcoming EP, with standout tracks being ‘Summer’ and ‘Skin’. However, truly the best moment of their set was their cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘Blank Space’ which got everyone in the crowd singing along!
Spicing the afternoon up, saxophonist and vocalist Jackson B performed. What was incredibly impressive about Jackson’s performance was that he played the saxophone and sang during the song, becoming a one man band. His set was comprised of covers with his own saxophone addition, which was fantastic as it meant the crowd could sing along as well. It was a funky set and featured a cover of Frank Ocean’s ‘Super Rich Kids’, which was a favourite of mine. As a huge fan of jazz and neo-soul, I loved being able to hear this style of music at Share the Sound: Unplugged festival.
Changing the tune a little Sacha Wood came on and greeted us with old school rock music singing about love, cheaters and lockdown. It was a fantastic set and they performed original songs from their upcoming EP and covers such as ‘Be The One’ by Dua Lipa. Though it was a cover, this felt completely original as Sacha’s version featured a rockier old school vibe, an unlikely but very welcome cover. A highlight of their set was their song ‘The Sticks’, which I cannot wait to hear in all its ‘plugged-in’ glory.
Again, showing the diversity of the festival comes the collaboration of two jazz lovers, George Gatehouse and Joe Herbert. They performed some jazz standards and transported the audience to the 1950s. Again, as a jazz lover myself, it was amazing having a pint in the sun whilst listening to some classic jazz. Gatehouse and Herbert worked perfectly together, with smooth guitar and beautiful vocals it was definitely one of the standouts of the afternoon.
To close the festival, Joe Taylor Hawkins took the stage playing acoustic guitar and singing many original songs. Hawkins’ songs inspire hopeful feelings and during the breaks between each track they wanted to spread some joy by discussing their own experiences with the thought that sharing can help others. One their top songs of the afternoon was ‘For You,’ a beautiful love song that you could imagine being someone’s wedding song. It was a great performance.
Share The Sound: Unplugged was an amazing festival; it was fun, unique and featured a variety of genres. All the musicians were uniquely amazing and they all showed just how amazing the talent in Southampton is. For those who have never been I would highly recommend attending next time as it’s a brilliant event- not one to be missed!
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